When the burden feels too heavy, we feel depleted and unable to meet the many demands placed upon us, and we experience stress.

PTSD is a mental health challenge that plagues many 1st responders and I was no different. 27 years of firefighting had left me battling it and depression burdening me with many of the common problematic symptoms that tend to come along with PTSD. There were intrusive symptoms, avoidance symptoms, alterations in cognition and mood and arousal and reactivity type symptoms.

The Dark Triad of Personality. What exactly is it? And what does it mean to be a Dark Triad member?

I went through many different cycles of abuse, during my childhood, at school and in adulthood. Up to the age of 22 I was physically and emotionally abused. I am a friendly person, and very sensitive. It seems my sensitivity was seen as a vulnerability for others to use against me. I went through many different cycles including physical violence, rape , break ins and people took advantage of me left, right and center. Some of it I spoke out about and reached out for help, but that fell on deaf ears, landing me in a very vulnerable position where I almost died, and I have spoken about that in my article 'I found love on a Psychiatric Ward.' This is a follow up from that article, and talks about how these issues affected me in more detail.

Eating binge is an eating condition where a person continually feels tempted to over-eat by daily binges. Individuals who binge eat very large quantities of food in a brief span of time, although they are not starving. Binges are often planned and it affects the person buying various binge products. In certain instances, people describe themselves as being in a dazed state following an overnight binge, because they can't recall what they're doing. Many that binge feed claim they have no influence at all over their meals. They even snack in private and feel embarrassed, nervous or frustrated in their actions. Episodes of binge feeding often contrast with periods where the individual is cutting back on the amount of food they consume. It can contribute to a destructive circle that is impossible to interrupt, where blood sugar rates increase and drop quickly, and misleading signals are transmitted to the brain, contributing to cravings for sweets while the body doesn't need them. Binge eating will greatly influence someone. While the condition is slightly more common among women than men, the number of men and women affected is more equal than in other eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa. The condition tends to develop fastest in young adults but many individuals do not receive care until they are in their 30s or 40s. The likelihood of an individual with binge eating disorder at some point during their lifetime is estimated to vary from 1 in 30 to 1 in 50. Most people get distracted with food sometimes, but this does not necessarily mean that you have a binge eating disorder. However, if you binge regularly and severely you will risk your physical and mental well-being as it is affected by the binges. What causes binge feeding is not clear, but it is seen as a way of coping with negative thoughts and low self-esteem, similar to other eating disorders. Issues that may increase the risk of developing binge eating issues include poor self-esteem and lack of trust, depression or anxiety, feelings of stress, anger, disappointment or loneliness, unhappiness with your body and feeling under strain to be thin. Others can include stressful or upsetting events in your life and family history of eating disorders that could be related to your DNA. Those are dangerous types of weight gain, which can indicate you're more inclined to consume at a later date. Binge eating is treatable, so most people eventually become better with the required support and treatment. Main treatments are self-help programmes, which may be done individually through a book or training course or as part of a community-based self-help network as well as directed self-help specialist, psychological care, specialised therapeutic recovery, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Such treatments may help you overcome the emotional issues involved with your heavy eating, but they usually will not significantly improve your weight. Binge eating may be associated with serious health conditions like anxiety and psychotic illnesses. Those feelings will escalate over time, when the person is still binge eating. Weight gain is a physical result of consuming unnecessarily, which can lead to obesity. It could place you at risk with multiple other occupational health problems, all of which may have life-threatening effects. Binge eating disorders are usually treatable, and the majority of people will eventually feel comfortable with the required treatment and support. Psychiatric therapy is also encouraged to help overcome the root issues surrounding binge eating. If you are reluctant to lose weight, a weight loss fitness specialist or health care professional may be willing to create a weight reduction plan that will supply you with the foods your body needs to keep healthy and to help you drop weight.

Bulimia nervosa is a condition of uncontrollable feeding and emotional health. Individuals with bulimia seek to control their weight by drastically reducing the amount in the food they ingest, and by indicing vomiting through laxatives or heavy eating and purging afterwards. Along with other eating conditions, bulimia nervosa may be related to low self-esteem, substance usage, depression and self-harm. There is also a connection between dietary disorders and improper food or body-image attitude. For example, persons with a food deficiency prefer to avoid eating certain products and they can be healthy. However, those with eating disorders tend to utilize their dietary habits and behaviors to tackle societal distress, as well as possessing an abnormal or excessive view of food, calorie, and weight. Regardless of this fear, people with bulimia nervosa tend to limit their food intake. It adds to bouts of over-eating and loss of desire, after which the use of laxatives causes them to become sick. They empty themselves because they think binging will lead them to gain weight, and typically feel ashamed by their acts. Usually, such tasks are done in their privacy, away from other people. Such binge-purge episodes may be triggered by starvation or anxiety, or are a result of psychiatric illnesses. As in certain dietary disorders, women are much more prone to develop bulimia than males. But bulimia nervosa is becoming more common amongst boys and male adults. Of the many people that suffer some kind of an eating disorder, reports indicate that up to 25 percent could be male. If you have an eating disorder like bulimia the first step is to acknowledge that you have a problem. You can contact the doctor for routine check-ups and advice on getting care. Purging is a response to binging. Eating lots of food in a limited period will make you feel physically overweight and unattractive, frustrated, depressed and full of self-hatred. And the main impulse for purging is a deep, debilitating fear of gaining weight. The most common methods for purging involve vomiting yourself or using laxatives to enable the body to pass the food quickly. Bulimia is likewise a continuous cycle. Those who suffer from bulimia have very poor self-esteem. They may also think you're overweight, even if they might be at or below normal weight for their height and age. This will encourage them to establish specific rules that are very difficult to obey for diet, alcohol or exercise. If you don't abide under these stringent rules, you're hooked to the stuff you've robbed yourself of. You drink to get rid of the calories, despite feeling ashamed of bingeing. Several sources are saying that the advertisement and fashion industry are generating opportunities for tiny body weights. Many young people are affected by eating disorders, particularly during puberty because hormonal changes will render them more conscious of their bodies. Bulimia can claim the control of life for teenagers as they feel they have no choice in their lives. The development of bulimia may be linked to ingeritance to some degree. Data suggests that those with a parent that has or has had bulimia are four times more likely to develop bulimia than someone with the condition without a connexion. Men's bulimia symptoms can be very normal. For certain cases, bulimia exists due to bodybuilding, or special practices such as exercise, dancing or horse racing. Acceptance in finding treatment and support is the first move toward recovery, but that can be a very difficult path to take. Most sufferers with bulimia mask their illness for months or years until they receive support. To allow a person with bulimia to undergo care, such as forming a new relationship or engaging with certain individuals, would often include a shift of situations.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating condition and a serious emotional and health issue. Those suffering from anorexia are thought as people who have eating disorders. They're very concerned about their weight and they keep it as low as possible by controlling exactly what they're drinking and eating. Several anorexic people will still eat and lose excess weight. People with anorexia are believed to be too concerned about their weight because they believe they are fat or overweight, are extremely fearful of being big and have a desire to be slender. And although a person with anorexia is significantly underweight, they also feel forced to lose more weight. However, if anorexic people avoid consuming food because they can, they also are obsessed with nutrition and dieting. For starters, even though they don't want to consume something, they obsessively measure the calories of various food categories. Some individuals with anorexia will also binge the diet, i.e. they eat a lot of things in a short amount of time. They then attempt to vomit using laxatives, to remove the food from their bodies. The symptoms of anorexia usually develop gradually, such as following a rigid diet. Anorexia, while being a chronic illness, is the leading cause of mental health associated deaths. Most cases of anorexia appear in girls and women. One out of every 200 women is affected. Symptoms of anorexia usually grow slowly, at an average age of 15, through adolescence. But the condition can develop at any stage, even from infancy. The big symptom of anorexia includes a significant reduction in weight. A person with anorexia needs their weight to be as minimal as possible, far below the age and height standard that is usually recommended for a helathy being. They are so scared of gaining weight that they can not usually eat. Although anorexia suggests a loss of appetite, individuals with anorexia nervosa do not usually lose their appetite; they love food and remain hungry. However, they don't care about food in the same way other people do. This can be seen in various ways. For starters, they might say lies about when they have eaten, give excuses why they're not eating, tell lies about how much weight they've gained, find it hard to talk of something other than food, spend tonnes of time reading cook books and recipes. Often people with anorexia claim their weight and how they look is related to their actual importance. They think that many people will value them more positively seeing that they have managed to loose weight and appear more much slender and thinner. The exact causes of anorexia nervosa are unclear and most researchers believe that this is likely to be the result of a combination of factors. Many people with anorexia have common behaviors and personality traits that can increase their likelihood of illness contracting. Puberty appears to be a contributing indicator among the people who suffer from anorexia. It may be the combination of hormone changes and feelings of anxiety, fear and low self-esteem that triggers anorexia during puberty. It has been suggested that changes in brain function or hormone rates can also play a role in anorexia, although it is not clear whether they lead to anorexia, or whether they tend to develop as a result of deprivation. Until making a diagnosis, the doctor will usually pose concerns regarding weight and eating habits. For example, they may ask if you've lost a lot of weight lately or quickly, how you feel about your weight, and if you're concerned about it. They might also ask whether you think you're overweight even though other people say you're thin.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a series of behavioral symptoms including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. ADHD symptoms tend to be identified at an early age and can become more noticeable when a child is goiong through a change in circumstances, for example, as they start kindergarten. Many reports suggest that the children most affected are between the ages of 6 and 12. Usually, symptoms of ADHD rise with maturity, although sometimes individuals dealing with the condition at a young age experience trouble as well. People with ADHD may have other difficulties as well, such as sleep disorders and anxiety. The precise cause of ADHD remains unknown however research on ADHD continue to date. Various studies have identified several possible differences in the minds of people with ADHD as opposed to those without the condition. Other factors suggested as having a potential role in ADHD include early birth, low birth weight, malnutrition, alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy. ADHD is more prevalent in boys than in girls. The condition is estimated to be around 2 percent to 5 percent of school-age adolescents. ADHD may appear in individuals of any mental ability, but it is more common in individuals with cognitive impairments. While there is no cure for ADHD, it should, where necessary, be handled by medications and enough educational support, counseling and motivation for parents and children impacted. Medication is frequently the first form of treatment offered to individuals with ADHD, while psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy may also be of assistance. Treatment for a child with ADHD may be complicated, but it is important to remember that they can not alter their behavior. Many issues that can arise in daily life include getting the child to sleep at night, getting them up on time for school, listening to and following instructions, being organized and handling social events. Shopping with ADHD adults may also show that they have similar difficulties, while some may have problems with alcohol, abuse, and unemployment. Signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be split into two types of behavioral disorders. These forms include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness, but most people with ADHD do not usually have that. Any individuals with the condition can have trouble with inattention, but not hyperactivity or impulsiveness. ADD can even go ignored because the symptoms can be less visible. The precise nature of the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is not widely established as it is thought to be responsible for a variety of reasons. ADHD tends to manifest across households, and in most instances, the genes you get from the parents are deemed a significant factor in the development of the condition. Data shows that all parents and friends of a child of ADHD are four or five times more likely to experience ADHD themselves. The cause of ADHD is complex, however, and is not believed to be linked to a common genetic mutation. Research has described several possible differences in the brains of those with ADHD compared to those who may not have the condition, but it is not clear what their exact definition is. For example, studies including brain imaging have found that certain areas of people with ADHD's brain can be smaller and other sections could be larger. Research has also shown that the brain may take an average of two to three years longer to grow in children with ADHD, compared to children without the condition. Some studies have indicated that people with ADHD might have a problem in the number of neurotransmitters in the brain, or do not work adequately with these chemicals. If you believe you or your child might have a diagnosis of hyperactivity or lack of focus, it is recommended that you speak to your doctor about this. If you are worried about your child, it might be useful to speak to their teachers before you see your doctor, to find out if they have any concerns regarding your child's behavior.

During my depression, I could have three different faces. The first one is when I am feeling some joy because I am not breaking down, thinking that maybe I got to to the end of the dark tunnel I have been walking in for a while. When I am in this state, I feel happy, optimistic and excited about tomorrow. I feel like all my sad moments were just a passing cloud, and that all my traumas happened for a reason, a positive one. My view of the world changes and my mood is stable all the time. My mother used to tell me that my eyes usually shine whenever I am genuinely happy, and the following pictures shows that. I remember I was smiling for real, I wasn't faking it that time, I was in relief, I was out of the prison called depression.